Hot Pursuit, Spring Y14

[Sussy]

Hot Pursuit!
Y14, Spring Work Out.

Ella wanted to say the fiery filly loved her work, but truth was the filly loved any work. Anything that would push her just that little bit more, and anything that would allow her to form a false sense of dominance over her trainers. Ella had come to recognise that allowing the flaming chestnut to believe she had gotten her way, would always result in a faster work out the next time. It went strongly against her ways of training riding horses, and being new to racing it was somewhat of a difficult tactic to get her head around. But she would allow Ember her mentality regardless of how strong the urge was to push the young thoroughbred back into her place.

Alone, Ella closed the gate to the track behind her, simultaneously attempting to juggle the reins of the ever-bouncing Ember; who thought it was a good idea to make a big deal about the fact that it was exercise time. “Bless your happy socks,” Ella mumbled, watching in mild amusement as she would glance over her shoulder at the ecstatic two year old. She wondered lightly if the thoroughbred would ever learn to calm herself, or if she’d always be that bouncy bundle of… joy? Her thoughts faltered, Ember was only cute when she was half contained; it was far too often Ella had had her toes stepped on because the growing filly was too overjoyed with herself to enclose her bouncing thrill.

It was difficult on her own, and after several attempts of trying to keep Ember close enough to the mounting block to actually get on, Ella would heave herself into the saddle and find herself reining the suddenly-cantering filly back as quickly as she was capable. It was hard, learning the ways of an exercise rider having been an eventer for the majority of her life, but the skills ran in her family; it wouldn’t be long before she had a better hold on what worked and what didn’t. Jogging, she would turn the filly over to the right, gradually leaning forward to allow the eager maiden into a casual canter; warming her up as she would use her voice as a cue to relax somewhat, “Hang on Girly, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” but Ember wouldn’t have a bar of it; and so it would not be long before Ella would allow the chestnut to push forwards.

The canter would build, not yet a gallop, but still a try for her fitness; she remained balanced, despite a quick check back into line when she thought it seemed a better idea to stray out wide. Ember’s pace was steady. Her first race was upcoming, and Ella was determined to see the odd-coloured thoroughbred to a strong finish, regardless of her placing she wanted a good fight. Four furlongs passed, and it wasn’t long before the liver filly would begin to stretch, leaning into the bit in an impatient begging to allow the room to move faster. Ella would deny it to her for a few moments, and the filly’s frustration would become clear as her lips would begin to flip with irritation, “Okay okay,” Ella’s voice was muffled by the wind, but in that moment she would lean forward, reaching for her mane higher up, stance crouching.

Hot Pursuit didn’t need to be asked twice, a powerful launching motion would propel her forwards, her eagerness to succeed becoming more than apparent as the growing filly would stretch nose-to-nose with an opponent of her imagination, pushing herself at the speeds Ella knew she was so capable of. And yet even in familiarity the pounding of her first race fillies hooves against groomed turf was enough to make her smile, stomach fluttering with the thrill of the chase as the duo would eventually begin to slow after galloping a length of four furlongs. With some persuasion, the filly would come back to, lathered in the sweat of her brilliance, quarters shifting sideways as she would jog so effortlessly towards the exit of the track, a proud bounce to her step that seemed only evident after a strong work out. “You’ve got this, girl,” Ella remarked proudly, laughing quietly to herself before encouraging the filly to walk and cool down; not that Ember wanted to.